Disabled? What does that Mean?

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  That question could be answered  many different ways by any number of people.  For the Majority in our country it means having more difficulty doing things most of us take for granted or not being able to do them at all.  This is a very difficult thing to accept  when it happens to a person who has never been disabled.  It can be especially difficult for those who want to work and must compete with more able bodied, healthier  persons in a job market.

Taking into consideration that a Disabled Person's health  can be unpredictable, they often loose jobs when they can't get in to work due to a health relapse or can not meet the demands made by corporate protocol. 

For this reason, some dIsabled  persons find that working for themselves relieves a lot of this anxiety.  Being your own boss means you can delegate work to those who are healthier or doing the work yourself and resting as needed. It can also mean having only a handful of places to pick from that are willing to accept  and work with your needs. Some employers feel justified in offering lower wages when they must make exceptions.  I have found that the Internet is probably one of the biggest and best  resources for a disabled person.  Where else can you do so many things in life with just the click of a mouse. Some new technology does not even require that.  For a person who is able to do next to nothing, the Internet and computers make it possible to do a multitude of things.  Imagination and the willingness to learn how to utilize the benefits of the Internet and the use of computers is probably the best thing ever to happen for a disabled person wanting more career options.

Art has been found to be a form of  therapy for some, especially for those who have been traumatized in any way physically or emotionally.  It is also something that you can set aside  and come back to later when the mood, desire, and ability is there.

There is nothing worse than feeling you have no control over your life, your body, your ability to be employed, and the ability to care for yourself or even your family.  Nobody wants to feel like that. 

What about Social Security or SSD Income for people who are Disabled ? Yes, this is available and thank god it is.  Not every Disabled Person wants to except it or stay on it for life and  not every  Disabled Person has the ability to survive with out it.  This is an entirely individual thing for each person and just because there are Disabled Artists and persons out there who are trying to work and create a job and or income for themselves  does not mean that every person will be able to accomplish this and some could seriously endanger their health to do so.  There is also the consideration of how much Medical Treatment a Disabled Person may need.  If their Medical needs are severe, chronic, and expensive, it is not always in their best interest to pursue something that could make them sicker or make them loose their Medical Insurance.  Again this is something each person must decide for themselves.  Some people may be fully aware of the risks and decide to work and create their Art anyway as they may feel living is dying and dying is living.

For a young person and I mean somebody who has not reached retirement age, being disabled before their time can be especially difficult.  If they have no home, no family and few resources like many of us do, you may see them living on the streets.  When they finally do get their SSD, a lot of them find themselves in a hopeless situation trying to decide whether that small amount of money they get is going to pay the rent, the utilities, buy food, clothing or fix the car and forget about trying to do all those things because if you are alone you will not have enough.

We couldn't possibly ask our government to do more when they have been so kind and generous to seniors, and the disabled thus far. There is only so much money to go around and do things with and I imagine they have checked their government checkbooks and said "This is the Best we can do" .  Sometimes we all just have to do our part to help and figure out additional solutions to our country's problems.  This is a start .  Let's see what  happens .

Nobody wants to live in oppression or live a demeaning life where life is a shut off notice and beans and rice or macaroni and cheese is the norm for the rest of your life.  For the folks who are selling their Art on this site, you know they may have sacrificed everything they have to get to this point.  This is their dream.  This is their goal.  This is their hope and their future.  This is their dignity and respect for themselves and you.  It is with great honor that I promote and share with you the Art and Artists of  Disabled Artists Network.

If you are working with Disabled Persons for the first time there are important things you should be aware of .  These things have never really been discussed and organized in a forum before and I am sure I don't have them all but I will try my best to explain for those who are interested in learning and educating themselves in this area for the benefit of being able to do more business with Disabled Persons. The following are only my opinion from what I have noticed and  should not be perceived as anything more than that.  Because no one has ever created a standard and because so many potential employers are afraid of being sued and also are afraid of not financially being able to meet the complex and diverse needs of  Disabled Persons I thought it might be a good Idea to start somewhere and encourage people to set a standard.  By doing this, it will open more doors of employment opportunity for those who are disabled and help potential employers understand more fully what they are dealing with .  I hope more and more people will give input on this Subject and start forming a standard. 

1.  Disabled Persons prefer to be treated just like everybody else regardless of type of Disability. Every person on this earth has value.

2.  The type of Disability a person has determines their work and lifestyle.  To best determine the greatest chances of success for working with a Disabled Person first determine the type of Disability.  They are as follows;

A.  Missing Body Part or Function for an otherwise healthy person and sometimes in combination with an illness or disorder .  A person with this type of Disability may or may not want or need assistive Technological help. It depends on the person and whether they have adapted to a lifestyle with or without assistive Technology.  The most common Idea people associate Disability with is the Wheelchair.  More and more buildings and public places have wheelchair access.  Someday this will be common.  Other examples are special glasses, TDY Telephone service for the Blind, Bionic or artificial limbs, and on and on.  As long as we have missing parts there is a job and Intelligent Scientists and Medical Entrepreneurs out there creating them.  For those who aren't aware did you know the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 20 Percent of our Population feels Disabled or has been diagnosed with a Disability?  I expect that number may grow as people are living longer.  Assistive Technology is probably the easiest Disability to work with. 

There are also Kind Humanitarians like Heather Mills who has helped thousands and thousands of Land Mine Victims get new limbs. As our society has matured and become more compassionate and open minded it has brought to us Innovative New Thinkers.  For example this company may one day hold the World Model for creating a Universal plan for Architecture that will accommodate any Disabled Person.  Find out more at http://www.adaptenv.org   To find out the latest news on Technological assistance go to http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/list/assist01.htm because these guys have the absolute latest news on the hottest topics in Assistive Technology.  The articles are informative, passionate, and very worth wile.  To see what is available for purchase online now go to http://www.enablemart.com and see what might be out there that could make the difference between working and not working.  Writer Stephen Hawking simplified it in one simple sentence "I may have lost my ability to speak but I still have my mind ", and for great intellectuals like Stephen we will always have the joy of what he and other great minds  bring to our world by use of Assistive Technology.

B.  Invisible Disability's.   People with Invisible Disabilities most often get accused of  Faking their Disability or constantly feel they need to offer proof. Some of these more Invisible type of Disability's  may wax and wane and their are good days and bad days.  The hard part is the unpredictability.  The best way to work with a person with an invisible Disability is to stay in their limits and do the work on the good days.  For example a person with Environmental Illness improves their health by abstaining from toxic substances and environments. They may slowly improve over time and eventually tolerate more but could also relapse if another toxic exposure occurs.  When their environment is controlled they may be able to do some work on their good days.  Assistive Technology helps a lot in this area because when you are cut off from your world you may find that your special radiation screened computer is your only link to society and any possible work.   Especially since Isolation is a major factor in improving health.  Fibromyalgia is another example of Invisible Disability. People with Fibromyalgia have to very careful to never do repetitious work of any kind nor be exposed to Allergens as they aggravate this condition.  Fibromyalgia can be extremely  painful, tiring, and more. Again the key to working with this type of Disability is allowing the person flexibility in Environment, Work Patterns and schedules.  The rule is "Do the work on the good days" and have help for the bad days. Working within the limits means that a person with a bad back, feet,  or an arthritic condition should not do things that hurt or exaberate their problem. You certainly wouldn't put them to work lifting boxes and how many places have you see where employees are made to stand in one spot all day?  I've see young healthy people who went home exhausted from that.  How about a person who has a sleep disorder?  They would get fired from most day jobs for chronic lateness but give them something to do when they are feeling their most optimal and you'd be surprised at what they can do.  Folks with a sleep disorder especially narcolepsy should not be in situations that would endanger them should they suddenly fall asleep.

C.  Chronic poor Health or Autoimmune Disorders or a Major Illness ,Disease, or Disorder that may  result in an early Death or a drastically changed life.  A person with Chronic poor health may be able to do work during their good days. It can never be said for sure what they may be doing on their good days as each person is unique but if they are determined and badly want to work it would probably make the most sense to not do things that are too taxing on their health. A person with this or these types of Health Conditions would find it extremely difficult to find employers as logically the first two things coming to an employers mind would be 1. How would they ever cover the Medical Insurance and 2. Not much work could get done when a person is sick more than is allowed in a work day or week.  It is possible though to work with a person in these situations though as long as the persons understand and accept the limitations and conditions.  For example on this persons better energy or good days they just might write the best screenplay you ever saw in your life or while they were resting they may have come up with a plan for world peace.  You never know, so be patient, be kind, be understanding, be flexible. For those who are very very ill or may be dying each day is a roll of the dice as to how and what they may feel like doing that day. Giving Respect and Dignity to a person in this situation is more important than expectations.  Gentleness and the ability to be flexible and accepting the ominous "No" when this person wants to stop working is the general rule of thumb.  Take nothing for granted and honor and respect anything that is granted.  A person in this situation should never be made to work but if they want to and they want to have that option that is what this is about.

D.  Mental Illness, Head Injury, or Learning Disability's .  Working with people with Mental Illness can be challenging or it can be easy.  It depends on the type of Mental Illness and whether the person functions well with or without Medication or Therapy.  What ever the case may be there is one simple rule and that is to simply be Kind, Respectful, and don't ask a lot of personal questions unless this person is comfortable with that. You never know what pain a person has been through in life and an insensitive comment may trigger a painful memory for that person. It is important to know though the type of Mental Illness in some situations and be educated about this so that a good working relationship is established along with support and resources.  For example I have noticed some people with A.D.H.D do great with Multi-Tasking and that   People  with  Dyslexia have an especially astute ability to do hands on or mechanical type work as they work best by touch.  Just pay attention and you will see the wonderful abilities that some people have, that exceed or excel in specific areas.

Overall learning to be patient, understanding, kind, flexible, resourceful, and creative are really what is needed the most for working with those who are Disabled.  Once you have that down, everything else  should be much easier than you might expect.  Shouldn't we all treat each other that way anyways?

I hope you find these links useful and they help people to understand more about Disability and realize how common it really is. Again, I can not speak for others and I hope people will email in their point of view on these things.  Thank you.

Now check out that Art because you know someone has been working very hard to share it with you.

http://www.DisabledArtistsNetwork.net